Scintil, Tower Semiconductor Poised to Boost PIC Production

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) supplier Scintil Photonics has integrated III-V distributed feedback (DFB) lasers and amplifiers with standard silicon photonics technology in production at Tower Semiconductor. The integration technology grants opportunities to accommodate the integration of additional materials and functions, including lithium niobate and quantum dots, said Sylvie Menezo, president and CEO of Scintil Photonics.

Scintil unveiled its fully chip-integrated 100-GHz DFB comb laser source offering in March 2023. The company said that its continued partnership with Tower positions it for high-volume production to meet market demand.

Scintil’s integrated circuits (ICs) are made using a combination involving standard silicon photonics processes, flip bonding, and standard CMOS processes to enable monolithic integration of lasers and amplifiers that target improved performance, speed, reliability, and high-density at lower power consumption for data center, AI, and 5G applications. Fabricated on Tower’s high-volume base, PH18M silicon photonics foundry technology, which includes low-loss waveguides, photodetectors and modulators, Scintil’s technology monolithically integrates DFB lasers and amplifiers on the backside of wafers. Further testing of Scintil’s circuits by customers showed no need for a hermetic package, while demonstrating improved aging and robustness, the company said.